Select Local Merchants

Water streams from wooden aqueducts and cascades down rock formations as families putt through Colorado Canyon's two 18-hole mini-golf courses. After rounds, guests can visit the arcade to play skee ball, build their own stuffed animals, or mine for gemstones and fossils, then hit the snack bar for some Noble Roman's pizza.

At Berryland Farms of Texas, the early bird gets the blackberries. They also get the peaches, blueberries, and vegetables, which all grow on the you-pick-it farm starting in May. Showing up in the morning guarantees a fresh harvest for your basket?by the afternoon, it's smart to call ahead to find out whether or not the day's fruits have already been plucked.
In autumn, the farm transforms into a fall weekend escape for families, where pumpkins dot the field and visitors wind through a challenging corn maze. Adults and kids alike will enjoy pumpkin bowling, face painting, and delectable snacks, and there's often live music. Take a hayrides to enjoy a leisurely drive around the landscape. For faster travel, head to the top of a 75-foot hill slide or politely ask one of the pumpkins to turn into a motorcycle.

As the star of CMT's Gator 911, Gary Suarage knows a thing or two about handling gators?the show documents Gary and his team's efforts to rescue gators from strange places and transport them to refuge. But to admire Gary's work, you don't have to watch it on TV or read an gator's grateful memoir. Instead, you can visit Gator Country, Gary's 15-acre reservation in Beaumont populated by crocodiles, snakes, and?of course?gators. Here, visitors get up-close and personal with some of the world's most intimidating reptiles while feeding them, snapping pictures, and learning about them during educational shows.
For the bravest guests, Gator Country even offers a swimming-with-gators experience, during which the gator's mouth is taped shut, making it safe to divulge your secrets in its ear.

In 1998, the clack of billiards balls met the clink of cold beers at the first Fast Eddie’s Sports Tavern and Social Clubs in Amarillo. Since then, 17 more Fast Eddie's locations have sprung up across Texas and Louisiana, each letting guests sink corner shots at 8- and 9-foot Olhausen pool tables while sharing a few drinks and snacks such as deep-fried hot dogs. Beyond the felt, home runs and touchdowns play out on multiple big-screen TVs as darts fly into targets and foosball tables re-create the exciting theatrics of gymnasts struggling to play soccer.

At Camp Niwana, youth and teens have spent their summers enjoying activities centered around environmental education, conflict resolution, and fostering leadership skills since 1953. Beneath a canopy of towering oaks and pines in the Big Thicket area, Camp Niwana invites campers to explore new things, learn new skills, and meet new friends outside the ones they have made back home playing xBox.
Much like the kids themselves, the camp has evolved over the years, too. In addition to its classic camp activities, it currently offers more modern experiences. And Camp Niwana doesn't limit their adventures to just the summer. Throughout the year, families and groups can visit the property to have some fun of their own and use the facilities for their own family activities, all while staying in electricity-equipped cabins with a full bathhouse but no air-conditioning units.

Amid the Louisiana summer heat, Beauregard Country Club stands out like a desert oasis. The bright greens of its 18-hole golf course provide par-hunting recreation for players of all stripes. And guests hone their footwork, agility, and baseline game at the outdoor tennis courts?which provide a valid reason to take a dip in the club's outdoor swimming pool.